La Grande Riverside Park playground groundbreaking and pump Track Grand opening set for Spring 2025
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – Big things are happening in the La Grande parks and recreation department. David Moyal, chairman for the Parks and Rec Commission, and Stu Spence, La Grande Parks and Rec director, have confirmed the Riverside Rebuild Project will break ground in spring of 2025. Initially announced in spring 2023, the Riverside Rebuild project aims to construct a new, modern playground for Riverside Park to replace the beloved but aging structure.
The Riverside committee, headed by Sharron Langdon, Shayla Rollins, Jen Gleason, Andy Altenberg, Jeff Crews and Kelli Hildebrandt, were able to raise a total of $280,000 dollars since the project’s inception, initially reaching the $265,000 dollar funding goal in Late March 2024. In addition to the community donations that comprised the local funding, the project has officially received $408,184 dollars from the Oregon State Parks Department’s Local Government Grant Program. This grant was thanks in no small part to the overwhelming outpouring of support from the La Grande Community according to Stu Spence
Currently, the committee are working to raise additional funding for a handful of final additions to the playground’s design, including benches, accessible surfacing, and various other convenience and accessibility components. In the meantime, donations are still beeing accepted, and can be arranged by contacting Stu Spence at 541-962-1348 or by visiting the project’s website at: https://lagrandeplayground.org/?fbclid=IwAR3rhUmFZjYfbniaUkS_Iul9rwC1rzzj5HR4XKZsr03f7WIZqgZgNVhcplU_aem_AcuLBsXOvpMYz35PzBgZ1qmo95ZaDjUtD37ahQy_Ct3-nC0FeWZXw31yLdW2oOFETQHKa1Hj9RP3UP3W7z4ecj5i
The groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for May 2025. No confirmed dates have been set for the demolition of the old playground.
Aside from Riverside, La Grande’s new pump track, located adjacent to the Skate Park at Pioneer Park, has also officially finished construction. Funded by a $75,000 grant from the Oregon State Parks Local Government Grant program and $100,000 fundraised by the Blue Mountain Single Track Trails club, the new asphalt track provides a fun and safe space for skateboarding, rollerblading, roller-skating and scootering. Touch up and landscaping work will be finished in the spring, with a grand opening also tentatively scheduled for Spring 2025. The track is, however, fully open and ready for use by the public.
